1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for reproducing video information with superimposing subtitles thereon and also reproducing audio information related to the video information.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one example of such a kind of information reproducing apparatus, there is a DVD video player. According to the format of the DVD, it is allowed that 8 streams of audio information data (i.e., audio streams) can exist at the maximum, 32 streams of character information data (i.e., sub-picture streams) such as subtitles can exist at the maximum. The streams are differentiated from each other according to an attribute of the language (e.g., Japanese, English, French) and the like.
The DVD video player selects one of the above mentioned audio streams according to the attribute of the audio information and selects one of the sub-picture streams according to the attribute of the character information (subtitles) set by the user, so as to reproduce the selected streams. For example, by the user or the audience, when the attribute of the audio information is set to English and the attribute of the subtitles is set to Japanese, the audio stream whose attribute is English is selected out of the above mentioned 8 audio streams and the sub-picture stream whose attribute is Japanese is selected out of the above mentioned 32 sub-picture streams, so as to reproduce the selected streams.
By the way, according to the above mentioned information reproducing apparatus, since the audio stream and the sub-picture stream to be reproduced are selected according to the attributes set by the user in the above mentioned manner, a condition may happen which is unnatural in dependence upon the content of the video information to be reproduced. For example, in case that the user of the video player is Japanese, when he or she watches a Japanese movie (i.e., a movie in which main actors and actresses are Japanese, and the main language in their conversations is Japanese), unless there is any specific reason, it is natural or general that the audio information to be reproduced is set to Japanese without displaying any subtitles. However, if the Japanese movie is reproduced as the attribute of the audio information to be reproduced is continued to be English and the attribute of the subtitles is continued to be Japanese, the reproduced audio information (voice) becomes English and the Japanese subtitles are displayed.
Therefore, there is a problem that the attributes should be set again in accordance with the content of the information to be reproduced.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information reproducing apparatus, which can reduce the troublesome work to set again the attributes of the audio information and the subtitles with respect to the video information to be reproduced.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by a first information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from a record medium on which video information, a plurality of audio-information-streams of audio information related to the video information and a plurality of character-information-streams of character information related to the video information are recorded as the record information. The first information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a video information reproducing device for reproducing the video information; a first memory device for storing an attribute of the audio information to be reproduced; a second memory device for storing an attribute of the character information to be reproduced; an audio information reproducing device for reproducing the audio information in one of the audio-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the first memory device; a character information reproducing device for reproducing the character information in one of the character-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the second memory device; a superimposing device for superimposing the character information on the video information; an attribute distinguishing device for distinguishing the attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams; and a superimpose controlling device for comparing the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device with each other, and prohibiting the superimposing device to superimpose the character information on the video information if the compared attributes are coincident with each other.
According to the first information reproducing apparatus, the attribute of the audio information to be reproduced is stored in the first memory device. The attribute of the character information to be reproduced is stored in the second memory device. The attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams is distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device. Then, the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device are compared with each other, by the superimpose controlling device. If the compared attributes are coincident with each other, the superimposing device is prohibited to superimpose the character information on the video information, by the superimpose controlling device.
At this time, since the audio information, which carries the original language related to the video information to be reproduced, is recorded in the particular one of the audio-information-streams, the superimpose controlling device prohibits the superimpose of the character information, which is to be the subtitles, onto the video information, in case that the attribute stored in the first memory device corresponds to the original language.
Namely, by storing the attribute corresponding to the mother tongue of the audience in the first memory device, the audio information in the audio stream carrying the original language is automatically selected and reproduced in case that the information to be reproduced (e.g., a movie) is produced mainly with the mother tongue of the audience, while the superimpose of the subtitles on the video information is prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the troublesome of setting the attributes again in accordance with the content of the information to be reproduced.
In one aspect of the first information reproducing apparatus, the first information reproducing apparatus is further provided with a specifying device for specifying a reproduction mode including an automatic selection reproduction mode. And that, the superimpose controlling device allows the superimposing device to superimpose the character information regardless of a result of comparison of the attributes if the automatic selection reproduction mode is not specified by the specifying device.
According to this aspect, when the automatic selection reproduction mode is not specified by the specifying device, the superimposing device is allowed by the superimpose controlling device to superimpose the character information regardless of the result of comparison of the attributes.
Therefore, when the automatic selection reproduction mode is not specified by the specifying device, it is possible to perform the superimpose of the character carrying a language in favor of the audience.
In another aspect of the first information reproducing apparatus, the particular one of the audio-information-streams is an audio-information-stream, which has a stream number 1, among the audio-information-streams.
According to this aspect, the particular one of the audio-information-streams is the audio-information-stream of the stream number 1. Since the audio-information-stream of the stream number 1 is conventionally a stream for carrying the original language of the record information (e.g., a movie) to be reproduced, it is possible to substitute the attribute of the audio-information-stream of the stream number 1 for the attribute information indicating the production place of the record information to be reproduced.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a second information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from a record medium on which video information, a plurality of audio-information-streams of audio information related to the video information and a plurality of character-information-streams of character information related to the video information are recorded as the record information. The second information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a video information reproducing device for reproducing the video information; a first memory device for storing an attribute of the audio information to be reproduced; a second memory device for storing an attribute of the character information to be reproduced; an audio information reproducing device for reproducing the audio information in one of the audio-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the first memory device; a character information reproducing device for reproducing the character information in one of the character-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the second memory device; a superimposing device for superimposing the character information on the video information; an attribute distinguishing device for distinguishing the attribute of particular one of the character-information-streams; and a superimpose controlling device for comparing the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device with each other, and prohibiting the superimposing device to superimpose the character information on the video information if the compared attributes are coincident with each other.
According to the second information reproducing apparatus, the attribute of the audio information to be reproduced is stored in the first memory device. The attribute of the character information to be reproduced is stored in the second memory device. The attribute of particular one of the character-information-streams is distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device. Then, the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device are compared with each other, by the superimpose controlling device. If the compared attributes are coincident with each other, the superimposing device is prohibited to superimpose the character information on the video information, by the superimpose controlling device.
At this time, since the character information, which carries the original language related to the video information to be reproduced, is recorded in the particular one of the character-information-streams, the superimpose controlling device prohibits the superimpose of the character information, which is to be the subtitles, onto the video information, in case that the attribute stored in the first memory device corresponds to the original language.
Namely, by storing the attribute corresponding to the mother tongue of the audience in the first memory device, the audio information in the audio stream carrying the original language is automatically selected and reproduced in case that the information to be reproduced (e.g., a movie) is produced mainly with the mother tongue of the audience, while the superimpose of the subtitles on the video information is prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the troublesome of setting the attributes again in accordance with the content of the information to be reproduced.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a third information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from a record medium on which video information, a plurality of audio-information-streams of audio information related to the video information and a plurality of character-information-streams of character information related to the video information are recorded as the record information. The third information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a video information reproducing device for reproducing the video information; a first memory device for storing an attribute of the audio information to be reproduced; a second memory device for storing an attribute of the character information to be reproduced; an audio information reproducing device for reproducing the audio information in one of the audio-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the first memory device; a character information reproducing device for reproducing the character information in one of the character-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the second memory device; a superimposing device for superimposing the character information on the video information; an attribute distinguishing device for distinguishing the attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams; a comparing device for comparing the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device with each other; and a reproduction controlling device for controlling the audio information reproducing device to reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-streams if the compared attributes are not coincident with each other according to a comparison result of the comparing device.
According to the third information reproducing apparatus, the attribute of the audio information to be reproduced is stored in the first memory device. The attribute of the character information to be reproduced is stored in the second memory device. The attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams is distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device. Then, the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device are compared with each other, by the comparing device. If the compared attributes are not coincident with each other, the audio information reproducing device is controlled by the reproduction controlling device to reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-stream.
At this time, since the audio information, which carries the original language related to the video information to be reproduced, is recorded in the particular one of the audio-information-streams, the reproduction controlling controls the audio information reproducing device to selectively reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-stream, in case that the attribute stored in the first memory device does not correspond to the original language.
Namely, by storing the attribute corresponding to the mother tongue of the audience in the first memory device, the audio information in the audio stream carrying the original language is automatically selected and reproduced in case that the information to be reproduced (e.g., a movie) is not produced mainly with the mother tongue of the audience, while the superimpose of the subtitles on the video information is performed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the troublesome of setting the attributes again in accordance with the content of the information to be reproduced.
In one aspect of the third information reproducing apparatus, the particular one of the audio-information-streams is an audio-information-stream, which has a stream number 1, among the audio-information-streams.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a fourth information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from a record medium on which video information, a plurality of audio-information-streams of audio information related to the video information and a plurality of character-information-streams of character information related to the video information are recorded as the record information. The fourth information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a video information reproducing device for reproducing the video information; a first memory device for storing an attribute of the audio information to be reproduced; a second memory device for storing an attribute of the character information to be reproduced; an audio information reproducing device for reproducing the audio information in one of the audio-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the first memory device; a character information reproducing device for reproducing the character information in one of the character-information-streams corresponding to the attribute stored in the second memory device; a superimposing device for superimposing the character information on the video information; an attribute distinguishing device for distinguishing the attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams; and a controlling device for comparing the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device with each other, prohibiting the superimposing device to superimpose the character information if the compared attributes are coincident with each other and allowing the audio information reproducing device to reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-streams if the compared attributes are not coincident with each other
According to the fourth information reproducing apparatus, the attribute of the audio information to be reproduced is stored in the first memory device. The attribute of the character information to be reproduced is stored in the second memory device. The character information having the attribute stored in the second memory device is reproduced by the character information reproducing device. The character information is superimposed on the video information by the superimposing device. The attribute of particular one of the audio-information-streams is distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device. Then, the attribute stored in the first memory device and the attribute distinguished by the attribute distinguishing device are compared with each other, by the controlling device. Then, as a result of the comparison, if the compared attributes are coincident with each other, the superimposing device is prohibited to superimpose the character information. Alternatively, if the compared attributes are not coincident with each other, the audio information reproducing device is controlled by the controlling device to reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-streams.
At this time, since the audio information, which carries the original language related to the video information to be reproduced, is recorded in the particular one of the audio-information-streams, the superimpose of the character information on the video information is prohibited in case that the attribute stored in the first memory device corresponds to the original language. On the other hand, the audio information reproducing device is controlled to selectively reproduce the audio information in the particular one of the audio-information-streams in case that the attribute stored in the first memory device does not correspond to the original language.
Namely, by storing the attribute corresponding to the mother tongue of the audience in the first memory device, the audio information in the audio stream carrying the mother tongue language is automatically selected and reproduced while the superimpose of the subtitles on the video information is prohibited in case that the information to be reproduced (e.g., a movie) is produced mainly with the mother tongue of the audience. On the other hand, the audio information in the audio stream carrying the original language is automatically selected and reproduced while the superimpose of the subtitles on the video information is performed in case that the information to be reproduced (e.g., a movie) is not produced mainly with the mother tongue of the audience. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the troublesome of setting the attributes again in accordance with the content of the information to be reproduced.
In one aspect of the fourth information reproducing apparatus, the particular one of the audio-information-streams is an audio-information-stream, which has a stream number 1, among the audio-information-streams.